Giants OT Evan Neal's return is iffy for Thursday
Giants offensive lineman Evan Neal participates in team drills during training camp in East Rutherford, N.J., on Aug. 9. Credit: Noah K. Murray
This would have been Evan Neal’s chance to prove to the Cowboys — and to the rest of the world — how far he has come since an awful outing against Dallas in Week 3.
Though the Giants have not officially ruled out the rookie offensive tackle for Thursday’s game, neither Neal nor coach Brian Daboll sound optimistic that he will play.
“I’m making sure whenever I do go back out there, I’m 100% ready to go,” Neal said on Tuesday. “I really don’t want to leave a stone unturned and make a premature decision and something bad happens. So I’m just making sure and crossing every ‘t’ and dotting the ‘i’s.”
Neal, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 draft, was playing well when he suffered a knee injury blocking for a Saquon Barkley run in Jacksonville on Oct. 23.
He returned to practice last week but was not ready to play Sunday against the Lions. With the Giants on a short week and holding walk-throughs rather than full practices, there is not much chance for him to test himself this week.
“It’s hard to get a live rep in when you’re in T-shirts,” he said.
Neal downplayed the notion there would be added frustration in missing the Cowboys game because they made him look bad on “Monday Night Football” on Sept. 26.
“I’d love to be in this game, but thankfully we see them twice a year every year,” Neal said. “It’s going to be awesome.”
Later, he added: “Whether I play this week or I don’t, I’m going to have another opportunity to go out there and play against NFL competition. I just want to make sure when I do go out there, I’m ready.”
Neal’s injury is one of many that have caused shuffling on the offensive line all season.
Tuesday’s injury report included Neal, Andrew Thomas (illness), Jon Feliciano (neck), Shane Lemieux (toe), Josh Ezeudu (neck) and Tyre Phillips (neck).
“It’s tough, man, but that’s football,” Neal said. “We’re not the only line in the league that’s dealing with stuff . . . It’s the nature of this game.”
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
